Emily Mendrala currently serves as a Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs at the US Department of State covering Cuba and regional migration.

Mendrala was the Executive Director of the Center for Democracy in the Americas, promoting US policies of engagement toward the Americas, from 2017-2021. At the Center for Democracy in the Americas, Emily led educational travel delegations for Members of Congress, policy leaders, and other stakeholders to Cuba, Central America, and the US-Mexico border.

Prior roles include serving as a Director for Legislative Affairs in the National Security Council and working at the Department of State as a Special Advisor to the Coordinator for Cuban Affairs and, before that, as an advisor on Central America regional affairs. Before joining the Department, Mendrala was a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

She has an M.A. in International Economics with a concentration in Latin American Studies from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Virginia.

Mendrala was an event speaker at the Dialogue.